The Book of Joker (II)

[Griffin]

The Book of Joker (II)

C3G DC WAVE 12
LEGENDS OF THE DARK KNIGHT

Comic PDF

Mini PDF

The figure used for this unit is a Heroclix figure from the Icons set.
Its model number and name are #004 / The Joker.

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Character Bio - The origin of this flamboyantly devilish clown are as much of a mystery to the world as it is to his own twisted brain. Joker is so far gone in the head, that he often talks to himself, which lends some psychologists to believe that perhaps Joker has many personalities. But no matter how he is labeled, diagnosed, treated, or studied, one thing that remains consistent is that Joker IS chaos. The fact that no one knows what makes Joker tick - not even himself - makes him a perfect counter to the disciplined and deliberate nature of Batman. While Joker may be chaos incarnate, Batman is order, and the two characters are as locked into a perpetual battle as day and night.
Joker employs a series of gadgets and "toys" to help him terrorize and entertain the people of Gotham City. One of his most famous and oldest of weapons is a dangerous gas/liquid poison that Joker calls: Joker Toxin. This mixture has a wide variety of affects and applications, but perhaps Joker's favorite way to use it is to squirt it from the flower on the lapel of his jacket. Usually, the toxin drives people insane, but it almost always leaves his trademark "Joker Smile" on their face.
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-Rulings and Clarifications-

• N/A

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-Combinations and Synergies-

Incoming Synergy:

• Joker may be swapped with a Joker Goon and have that Joker Goon roll defense dice in his place due to the Joker Goons' Clowning Around special power.
• As a Human, Joker has these Human Synergies.
• As an Insane figure, Joker has these Insane Synergies.

Outgoing Synergy:

• N/A

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-Immunities, Benefits, and Weaknesses-

Immunities

• As a figure with the Insane personality, Joker cannot be affected by aspects of certain special powers. Special Powers that Interact Differently with Insane Figures.

Benefits

• As a figure with the Insane personality, Joker interacts differently with certain special powers. Special Powers that Interact Differently with Insane Figures.

Weaknesses

• Figures with the Insane personality are not affected by Joker's Joker Toxin special power. Current figures with the Insane personality.

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-Strategy, Tactics and Tips-

• As an Insane figure, Joker is immune to a number of abilities, such as Beast's Negotiation and Yellow Lantern (Thaal Sinestro)'s Force of Fear Special Attack.

-Heroscapers Community Contributions-

• Initial playtest: (Griff)
• Second playtest: (Tornado)
• Third playtest: (ScapeMage)
• Art by tcglkn

[Griffin]

NAME = JOKER
SECRET IDENTITY = ???

SPECIES = HUMAN
UNIQUENESS = UNIQUE HERO
CLASS = PSYCHOPATH
PERSONALITY = INSANE

SIZE/HEIGHT = MEDIUM 5

LIFE = 6

MOVE = 5
RANGE = 1
ATTACK = 4
DEFENSE = 3

POINTS = 140

LAUGH IT OFF
When Joker would receive two or more wounds from a normal adjacent attack, you may instead place one Wound Marker on this card and the attacking figure's turn immediately ends.

JOKER TOXIN
After moving and before attacking, you may choose an adjacent figure that does not have the Insane personality. Roll the 20-sided die. If you roll 15 or higher and the chosen figure is:

• a Common figure, it receives one wound and you may inflict one wound on a figure adjacent to the chosen figure; or
• a Unique Squad figure, the squad now has the Insane personality instead of what is on its card, and you may take control of the Unique Squad and its Army Card. Remove any Order Markers on the Unique Squad's Army Card; or
• a Unique Hero, you may take temporary control of the chosen figure and immediately take a turn with it. At the end of the turn, control of the chosen Hero returns to the player who controlled the Hero before Joker Toxin was used and it receives one wound; or
• an Event Hero, it receives one wound.

[A3n]

LAUGHING GAS; if who rolls "no shields"?

Everything else looks good

[IAmBatman]

Not sure I 100% get the theme of Laughing Gas here ...

[Hahma]

I agree, not sure what the theme is behind Laughing Gas. Not sure why Laughing Gas should affect Joker or a figure adjacent to him being attacked by Green Arrow from 10 spaces away and avoiding wounds by not rolling shields. GA isn't laughing out of control from that far off and it shouldn't affect his shot. If he rolls great for Skill Shot and the defending figure rolls no defense, then in this case they couldn't roll any shields and would avoid the attack for no apparent reason. Other attacking figures who's powers reduce defending figure's defense would also be penalized in this fashion as rolling fewer defense dice will allow for less or no shields to be rolled.

Just wondering the theme of it affecting some attacking figures (like Wolverine) so much, though I at least can understand it more with him being a melee attacker. But non-adjacent figures shouldn't be laughing and missing, and defense reducing figures with range in particular like Green Arrow and Punisher with his Amor Piercing Rocket are punished extra by Laughing Gas.

I like Joker Toxin and the base stats though.

[IAmBatman]

Agreed. I think Joker Toxin and the base stats are a good start, but I think we can/should come up with something better for Laughing Gas.
I think one thing that is really getting me about this version of Laughing Gas is that it's a total cheerleader power - which means Joker is a support unit passively helping out those around him. That's soooo not Joker. If we're going to do another Joker, we need to have a power that represents his mischief and mayhem the way our current card does with Reorganized Chaos. We need something to really make it "pop." An adjacent defensive power just doesn't feel "Joker" to me. He doesn't help out his allies - heck, if anything, he's a danger to them. But, most of all, he screws with other people. I realize this kind of screws with attacks from enemies, but I just don't think the theme is "there" yet.
I wish I had a better suggestion to offer with the criticism, but I'm honestly mentally fried right now. I do like the idea of having laughing gas present ... I'll try to think on possible mechanics that would translate the power better in my mind ... but I'd love to hear if you have other thoughts on it as well (any of you guys, really).

[Good Pig]

I really like how the Laughing Gas mechanic would help out the rest of the DC crazies who all have low life/defense. Harley, Scarecrow, Arkham Inmates, etc. This would be downright nasty with the inmates.

I'm not sure what the theme is though. Is the laughing gas supposed to be affecting the attacker or the defender? My guess is it allowing the defending figure to shrug off the attack. In which case it wouldn't matter if the attack was a long range attack or melee.

[Griffin]

The idea behind Laughing Gas is that everyone who is affected by it is too busy laughing to try to block any attacks when they don't roll shields... a bit of a stretch, sure, but I thought the interesting mechanic was enough to smooth over the lack of thematic logic. I guess I can't pull anything over on you guys.
Also, this wouldn't have been a straight up "cheer leading" power as it would have also chaotically affected and helped out enemies adjacent to Joker as well. So giving Joker a power that can help him/enemies and hurt him/enemies is sooooo Joker IMO.

Moving on, how about this:

LAUGHING GAS
When Joker would receive any number of wounds from a normal adjacent attack, you may instead place just one Wound Marker on this card and allow the attacking figure to attack Joker one additional time if possible.

This gets the theme of Joker not feeling pain the way a sober person would and how it would provoke an enemy to attack him even more.

[Griffin]

Originally Posted by A3n

LAUGHING GAS; if who rolls "no shields"?

Everything else looks good

The subject is "when rolling Defense dice" but I think we are moving past this idea anyways.

[Hahma]

Originally Posted by Griffin

The idea behind Laughing Gas is that everyone who is affected by it is too busy laughing to try to block any attacks when they don't roll shields... a bit of a stretch, sure, but I thought the interesting mechanic was enough to smooth over the lack of thematic logic. I guess I can't pull anything over on you guys.
Also, this wouldn't have been a straight up "cheer leading" power as it would have also chaotically affected and helped out enemies adjacent to Joker as well. So giving Joker a power that can help him/enemies and hurt him/enemies is sooooo Joker IMO.

Moving on, how about this:

LAUGHING GAS
When Joker would receive any number of wounds from a normal adjacent attack, you may instead place just one Wound Marker on this card and allow the attacking figure to attack Joker one additional time if possible.

This gets the theme of Joker not feeling pain the way a sober person would and how it would provoke an enemy to attack him even more.

Now that's pretty cool. Sounds like a "That All You Got?" power.

[A3n]

Originally Posted by Griffin

The subject is "when rolling Defense dice" but I think we are moving past this idea anyways.

I suspected as much, but your power wasn't worded as so.

[Griffin]

Originally Posted by A3n

I suspected as much, but your power wasn't worded as so.

"When Joker defends" is clear bubba.

So how do you like the new Laughing Gas idea? Hahma sounds on board.